Baby Review: A Sharp Portrait of LGBTQ+ Brazilian Survivors Adrift in the Established Order
Capturing the city's relentless energy and vibrancy of São Paulo, Marcelo Caetano’s gripping drama zooms in on those who exist on the margins of an perpetually shifting metropolis. Fresh out of juvenile prison, 18-year-old Wellington (the actor João Pedro Mariano) faces a critical turning point; abandoned by his parents, the wide-eyed young man finds solace in the arms of others.
On an night on the town with his boisterous group of LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming friends, Wellington meets Ronaldo (actor Ricardo Teodoro), a hunky, charismatic hustler more than twice his age. Bathed in the wavering neon of a adult movie theater, their introductory rendezvous is physical and passionate, with an edge of danger. Ronaldo swiftly initiates Wellington to the clandestine realm of sex work and selling drugs.
A Portrait of Understanding Rather Than Exploitation
Caetano depicts Wellington’s new life of crime with tender empathy instead of as a exploitative warning story. Now going by the name of Baby, he enters his commercial trysts with brash fearlessness and endearing innocence. To his patrons, Wellington offers more than his youth and his body, but also fleeting acts of kindness.
In the electrifying chaos of São Paulo, teeming with busy lanes and brightly painted facades, there’s a persistent isolation, as adrift individuals hold fast to one another for temporary happiness.
"The streets are fraught with peril, yet they are where they can find their own family, too."
A Complex Dynamic of Love and Control
Ronaldo is at once a romantic interest and a sheltering paternal presence to Wellington, but their bond is sabotaged by possessiveness and monetary insecurity. Dangers posed by nefarious characters in the criminal underworld are overshadowed by the fear of institutional observation and imprisonment, symbolized by the constant sight of police officers making their rounds.
Baby is most powerful as a perceptive study of the forgotten souls who have been failed by the system. The film ultimately serves as a heartfelt exploration into survival, non-biological kinship, and the pursuit of self within a harsh urban landscape.
